Tag: Price

Alien Encounter and Parking Woes: A Bizarre Day | December 07 2025, 01:21

Such a “facehugger” jumped out of an egg nearby and attached itself to the windshield of my RAV4, just like that to implant its embryo, but the little car held its ground.

It all started when I went outside with my keys and realized that the car was not in the yard. Damn! I had used it to get to the metro, and Nadia brought me back from the concert in Washington in her Tesla. Well, okay, I’ll call an Uber.

The Uber took me to the metro parking lot, where the local parking attendants had found my car overnight and slapped a yellow card on it. Removing this thing takes five minutes; you just need to pay the fine by scanning the QR code. Luckily, the fine was divine, just 75 dollars accumulated. If I had remembered later, it would have been more.

Hidden Costs in Restaurant Menus: The Reality of Operational Charges | November 23 2025, 23:33

The restaurant is very tasty, but I increasingly notice that establishments include a certain percentage on top of the menu prices in the bill. In this menu, the cost of a dish is listed as $30 per plate, plus a note like this. In this case, it’s a 4% operational charge. Then there are taxes on top of that, plus another 20% for tips. As a result, $30 from the menu turns into at least $40.

Decoding Insane Prices in the Art Market | November 20 2025, 19:03

Let’s be honest about the art market (and why the prices there are insane).

Actually, there’s no mystery to it. It works somewhat like NFTs, only with a longer history and a better reputation.

The scheme is simple:

You take an item that hasn’t been on the market in this form yet (a painting, sculpture, installation — doesn’t matter). You call it an “important artifact”. It helps if you have connections — galleries, auction houses, billionaire collectors. If you don’t have connections, then find someone who does and sell the cow to them. Since uniqueness is required, there will be no paintings of bears in a pine forest, no matter how brilliantly they are done. There will be something distinct.

The very notion of “this is a painting/sculpture” — is just a convenient formality. The main thing is that the object can be incorporated into the already established art trading system.

Art is such — one of the most convenient ways to “optimize” taxes and move large sums of money. Paid 18 million euros for someone else’s work, and then someone “on your side” bought some of your work for the same 18 million. Virtually no money was really lost (just taxes), and now in catalogs and rankings, two works are each priced at 18 million. The price can be pushed up by selling them cascadingly. Win-win. Auctions are just in on the deal. Further, if you donate this work to a museum for charity, you can even cut more taxes. But it can also be sold. And here’s why.

Currently, there are simply too many free funds in the world. The number of billionaires and their wealth is growing faster than the availability of truly rare assets (real estate, companies, gold, etc. have all been divided already).

Art is one of the few markets where “scarcity” can still be created literally out of nowhere.

If you have access to a hundred such wealthy simpletons and you can tell stories (“this is an investment for 20-30 years, it will only increase”), then selling is purely a technical matter. Two or three interested parties = bidding already starts, and already you see +50-100% to the price.

Over time, real cases appear: someone bought in 2000 for 2 million, sold in 2024 for 80 million.

These cases are used to convince the next buyers. New buyers with their money confirm and amplify these cases. The cycle is closed.

Result: the rise in prices in the top segment of art is directly tied to the increase in the number of super-rich and their capital. As soon as a serious global crisis occurs and the extra trillions stop being printed/earned, and the pyramid collapses, the market will very quickly show where there was real cultural value, and where it was just a beautiful financial scheme.

P.S. This doesn’t mean at all that all contemporary art is a bubble. There are works that are really important historically and culturally. It’s just that at the very top of the price pie, cultural value has long ceased to be the main driver.

But at the summit of Olympus of the most expensive paintings of classic genius solitaries, there will never be, because galleries and dealers need artists who can produce 20-50 works a year to satisfy demand, organize exhibitions in five capitals simultaneously, and maintain turnover. Artists like Lopez Garcia, Odd Nerdrum, or Ron Mueck make unique pieces that will become especially valuable only after the artist dies.

Navigating a Luxury Hotel: A Maze of Misdirections | October 16 2025, 05:55

I currently live in a luxury hotel (as they describe themselves) for $400 a night. It must be said, I barely found a hotel – everything was sold out. It all started with the fact that there was no hot water in the room. They gave me a new room, which also did not have hot water. But in this new room, a plumber came and whacked the faucet, causing it to turn even more, and then the warm water started flowing. Well, good, now I know how to bang it. But I spent almost half an hour searching for this second room, wandering the corridors and following signs that lead nowhere. When I told the receptionist that only ghosts could improve my mood from the lack of hot water and the forced move, the lady at the reception smiled cunningly and said that anything can happen. And after that, I spent half an hour looking for the room.

Imagine, you are given room 446. You exit the elevator. There you see signs

“to the right 438-456”

“to the right 466-476”

“to the right odd rooms”

“to the left 400-432”

“to the left 478”

You follow the corridor and at the very end of it

“to the right 439-487”

“straight 429-437”

“back 427-401”

Ok, I have 446, so to the right. There’s a door

“straight 439-477”

Hm. Ten rooms just lost by turning towards the door. Well, alright, my 446 is somewhere here.

You enter, and it’s not there. There’s 445 and 447.

It turned out that as I walked from the elevator following the arrow “to the right 438-456”, it wasn’t in vain it said “to the right – odd”. But then where are the even ones? Also to the right! Just not mentioned. The even numbers are behind one of the doors marked “to the right – odd”. You have to walk about ten meters and see on the right side of the corridor a blind door of the same style as the wall with a “exit” sign and numbers 438-454. So the even numbers are behind this door, but how would you know? And what if you have 445? Well good, we go through the door. But there’s nothing there.

Absolutely nothing, just stairs to the fifth and third floors. But there’s also an unmarked door. And behind this door, hurray, even numbers.

Whoever navigated this needs to be beaten with whips. The fact that the hotel is 132 years old does not excuse it)

From Tesla Model Y to Model S Plaid: A Swap Experience | October 14 2025, 16:51

Recently, my Tesla Model Y fell ill, and the dealership gave me a Model S Plaid as a loaner car. It’s simply a monster, accelerating to 100 km/h in 2 seconds. Over a thousand horsepower. But after driving it for a week, Nadezhda and I realized that we would still not trade our Model Y for a Model S.

Well, the fact that it’s unusually low to the ground is a minor issue. We would get used to that. But getting out from behind the wheel is always incredibly awkward for me. My belly isn’t that big, but in the Model S, it’s like a real cockpit. You have to carefully sit down and climb out, whereas in the Model Y, you just jump in somehow and go.

Moreover, the Model S is really noisy inside compared to the Model Y. You can hear the road. And this is for a price twice that of the Model Y. Also, for some reason, the mode where you just walk away from the car works less sensitively, and locks the car only when you are already quite far away.

And then there are the turn signals. What idiot decided to put their buttons on the steering wheel? It’s impossible to get used to that. The steering wheel still turns, and the buttons are always somewhere unclear.

But, damn it, it’s very beautiful from the outside. Especially with a light interior.

By the way, Tesla has somewhat poorly thought out the mechanism for issuing a replacement car, and it works with only one driver. You can’t set two keys for two different phones. Moreover, it would be nice to store the settings in the cloud and receive a replacement car already adjusted to your preferences.

And the car fell ill in an interesting way too. It’s funny when the car on the highway tells you that there’s a little problem, the engine is dead, but you should not distract yourself, just keep driving. After parking, the car might theoretically not drive, but so far all is normal. If not, we will tell you. Meanwhile, your drive will not sound the same.

As I understood, the car simply switched from 4-wheel drive to 2-wheel drive. Funny that such a fallback exists at all. Already fixed, it needed an inverter replacement.

Switching from Sony to AirPods Max: A Cautionary Tale on Counterfeits | September 22 2025, 20:44

I made a gift for myself yesterday and bought Airpods Max. I already had Sony WH1000XM3, but I didn’t quite grow to like them. They don’t perform well with multiple devices, especially Macs, and although I find the sound quality decent, I prefer the sound in the Airpods, initially thinking it was due to the codecs, which indeed are a bit chaotic. Sony supports all – SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC. Apple devices (Mac, iPhone) do not support aptX and LDAC. Of all the advanced codecs available to Sony, the only one Apple devices can utilize is AAC. Exactly the same codec found in Airpods. But the sound to the ear is noticeably different.

Regarding the new ones, I realized I would be earning an eternity plus still, of course, I decided to buy used. For popular items, if you have a lot of time, you’ll definitely find some in excellent condition and for half the price. And here’s what I found out in the process: nine out of ten “half-price” headphones are fakes. The same situation applies to Airpod earplugs. Sometimes they are of very high quality, but like any counterfeit, they have serious flaws, but as many reviews say, the average ear won’t notice the difference, as counterfeiters don’t skimp on the audio path.

Eventually, I watched a ton of videos on how to distinguish fakes from genuine ones, and managed to buy Airpods in perfect condition yesterday for $180 when their price is $500.

Interestingly, checking the serial number on Apple’s website is no longer a cure-all because they’ve learned to reuse serial numbers from stolen ones. Most importantly: never buy a sealed box. Its outer part is counterfeited such that it can only be differentiated by the slightly less neatly wrapped film. In unpacked “ears,” the differences are more noticeable. The main thing – the headphones must pair with the computer using Apple’s proprietary protocol, which the counterfeiters have not yet been able to replicate.

Popup on iPhone upon first connection: Genuine — with a “Connect” button. Fake — no button, connects via Bluetooth settings.

The material of the headphones — should be metal. Fake — plastic, because metal is more expensive to manufacture. Snap your fingers on them, there should be a specific sound (try it in the Apple Store) — but most importantly, it should be the same on both sides. On the fake, it’s different and distinct.

The material inside the box: Genuine — cardboard (possibly recycled). Fake — plastic. Although cardboard is sometimes used too. An unreliable indicator.

Wrapping of the headphones: Genuine — in paper material. Fake — in plastic or without wrapping. Also unreliable.

Case — Interior material: Genuine — soft, changes color when touched, has text. Fake — hard, does not change color. This is quite a reliable aspect, because fakes will not use more expensive leather.

Noise when shaking: Genuine — noiseless. Fake — the button moves, noise is heard. Ear cups: Genuine — strong magnets, do not fall off. Fake — weak magnets, easily detach or fall off. Screws inside the cups: Genuine — dark. Fake — silver or light. This only works if you have seen the genuine ones. The difference is impossible to describe in words.

Noise cancelation (ANC): Genuine — activates only on the head. Fake — works in any position (even on a desk). Of course, it’s also poor, but detecting this is difficult unless you have the fakes on hand.

We must also check for Spatial Audio. It requires an accelerometer inside. Of course, fakes do not install one – it’s almost unused and why unnecessarily make the design more expensive. But in Spatial, it is used (you move your head – the sound shifts back and forth).

In short, when I was traveling yesterday, I was almost sure I wouldn’t buy anything. But — I got lucky.

Speaking of the Airpods themselves, they have some drawbacks that have been known for several years. I’m okay with them. The headphones are heavier than they could be, they don’t fold as they might, they bump against the chin when worn around the neck, and it’s not very comfortable to wear them that way, the price is high (but okay for used), strange case, and the protective case is huge, half the size of a backpack. Among the very important pros for me — support for multiple devices and perfect integration with Apple devices, good noise cancellation (almost like Sony’s), premium materials, and perfect build quality.

Uncovering Hidden Hotel Fees: A New York City Experience | August 21 2025, 14:33

Lived in New York on Manhattan for a couple of days recently. The hotel cost 370 USD per day (see photo). Out of which 284 USD is the cost for one day, and the remaining 86 USD are taxes + a mysterious Facility Fee of 35 USD (per day).

From the hotel’s website: “What is a Facility Fee? It’s a hotel service charge! $35 plus tax per day per room provides our guests access to all amenities at Freehand NY, including high-speed WiFi, complimentary 3x filtered water, 24-hour fitness center access, SMART TV connection, priority access to programs and events, and rooftop priority — Broken Shaker!”

Needless to say, these 35 USD were of course not included in the reservation system. It’s not practical to visit every hotel’s website to check for fees before pressing the book button. And yes, the confirmation does state FACILITY FEE TO BE PAID ON ARRIVAL, you can always read and cancel. But for the future, it’s always better to check.

Stability at a Price: The Costco Hot Dog Phenomenon | August 02 2025, 18:26

What is stability? The price of a hot dog with unlimited soda at our Costco has not changed for 41 years, since 1984. Indeed, to have the privilege of buying a hot dog for one and a half dollars here, I need to spend $3000 a year in their store (to cover the membership through cashbacks; otherwise, I lose up to $65 on the annual membership if without cashback).

And that’s how they sell 100 million hot dogs a year.